


It Would Set Me On Fire

by kate882



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 23:10:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18904564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: Henry's pov of their first meeting at the Rio Olympics





	It Would Set Me On Fire

Henry wasn’t usually a rude person.

Okay, well, sometimes Pez joked that he could be a catty bitch when he put his mind to it, but Henry wasn’t a rude person _in public_ , at least.

But Alex Claremont-Diaz took him by surprise.

Henry’s father had recently died, and in the aftermath his mother had grown withdrawn. The papers wouldn’t stop calling his sister The Powder Princess. And everyone in the world, or at least everyone in the world of any diplomatic importance, seemed to want to speak with him while he tried to make himself invisible at the Rio Olympics.

So you could say he wasn’t having nearly as good of a time as the other people watching the games unfold. You could also say he felt like his life was crumbling around him, he was turning into sand and the tide was coming in to sweep him away, scattering him, and he had to smile and pretend all was well.

He saw Alex before Alex saw him. And it took his breath away. For a moment he wondered if he was having another panic attack; it felt a little similar. The air in his lungs was suddenly gone, his heart was racing like it wanted to burst out of his chest towards the beautiful boy laughing with his friend and his sister, but it was different than the gut wrenching grief filled breathlessness he’d been trying to stop feeling over the months since his father’s death. This felt incredible and dangerous at the same time. They made eye contact and Henry felt like he was on fire. And he knew immediately that he couldn’t let this boy near him.

When Alex approached him, winning smile plastered across his beautiful face, loose curls looking windswept, Henry couldn’t really handle it. The absolute last thing his family needed was for the press to catch hold of which direction Henry swung because he couldn’t take his eyes off of the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen.

He heard the crowds roar as though from a distance as he watched Alex become increasingly uncomfortable with Henry ignoring his offered hand shake, and Henry used the sound to lean over to Shaan and ask quietly “Can you get rid of him?” before he could do something to actually embarrass himself and his family.

He aimed his standard press smile Alex’s way, nodded in acknowledgment of his introduction, and turned to walk away to let Shaan handle it.

Had he known Alex was able to hear that request to have him removed Henry would like to say he wouldn’t have done it, would have found a more subtle way to put distance between them, but given how he’d been feeling since his father’s death he couldn’t be sure that would be the case.

Had he known at the time that he would end up falling in love with Alex, as he feared he would after one look at his face, or that Alex would actually fall in love with him as well, he’s not sure if he would have tried to make a better impression or if he would have asked Shaan louder with the intention of Alex hearing to prevent the aforementioned falling in love.

Now, with Alex wrapped up in his arms in his Brooklyn apartment, Henry is sorry that he was rude and made Alex feel rejected that day, but also can’t bring himself to completely regret it. Had that not happened, he and Alex never would have reached the point of falling into a cake at his older brother’s wedding. And while that had been extremely embarrassing at the time, it did lead to them having to spend time together, which lead to this now: Alex, asleep for once, in his arms, the whole world aware of their relationship, and Henry being closer than ever with his family despite that.

When he thinks back to that day in Rio he can’t quite regret it because it was the start of what would eventually make him happier than he could ever remember being, doing work he loves with the shelter, while being able to come home to the man he loves as well. It was certainly an unfortunate first impression to make, but he wouldn’t take it back if he knew doing so would take this away from him.


End file.
